The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

I. Introduction
10 Facts About Homelessness
10/13/2014 | Updated Dec 06, 2017
By Bill Quigley
Renee Delisle was one of over 3,500 homeless people in Santa Cruz when she found
out she was pregnant. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported she was turned away from a
shelter because they did not have space for her. While other homeless people slept in
cars or under culverts, Renee ended up living in an abandoned elevator shaft until her
water broke.
Jerome Murdough, 56, a homeless former Marine, was arrested for trespass in New
York because he was found sleeping in a public housing stairwell on a cold night. The
New York Times reported that one week later, Jerome died of hyperthermia in a jail cell
heated to over 100 degrees.
Paula Corb and her two daughters lost their home and have lived in their minivan for
four years. They did laundry in a church annex, went to the bathroom at gas stations,
and did their studies under street lamps, according to America Tonight.
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Fact 1: Over half a million people are homeless. On any given night, there are over
600,000 homeless people in the U.S., according to the US Department of Housing and
Urban Development (HUD). Most people are spending the night either in homeless
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